OUR TEAM

Investment Committee

Matthew Burton, CFA

Founder and President

Matt began his career in asset management at Matsco Incorporated, a Delaware holding company (and Narwhal’s predecessor) in 1994. After 11 years at the helm of Matsco’s investment portfolio, he founded Narwhal Capital Management in 2005. Today, the majority of Matt’s time is spent on portfolio management. The most seasoned member of the portfolio management team, Matt’s 23 years of managing investments across all asset classes vests itself in a well-rounded appreciation for disciplined, methodical money management. Matt received a bachelor’s degree from Samford University and an MBA from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State before earning his Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Matt is an avid outdoorsman, a lover of poetry, a student of theology and a family man. He is a published author and the artist behind the photographs portrayed on this website. He and his wife Mary have five children, Luke, Mary Grace, Will, Esther and Lydia.

Matthew Burton is an Investment Adviser Representative registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. To view his professional background and public disclosures, click here.

Andrew Hall

Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer

Andrew’s career with Narwhal began as an intern during the summers of 2008 and 2009. He was hired in a full-time capacity as an Account Executive in 2011 before taking on the role of Director of Marketing and later Vice President. Andrew enjoys a multifaceted role and splits his time between portfolio management, client engagement, operations and compliance. He also runs Narwhal’s media subsidiary, Tusk Media, and is the lead content creator for The Investing Podcast. He holds his Series 65 license and is currently working toward a Chartered Financial Consultant designation. Andrew serves on the Advisory Board for the Mercer University Student Managed Investment Fund and was recently selected into the Charles Schwab Executive Leadership Program as a member of the 2019 class. In his free time, Andrew writes and podcasts about college football for a number of online publications including his own website. Andrew and his wife Amanda have a daughter, Hayden, born in March 2015 as well as a son, Martin, born in October 2018.

Andrew Hall is an Investment Adviser Representative registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. To view his professional background and public disclosures, click here.

Benjamin Nye, CFA, FRM

Senior Equity Analyst, Assistant Portfolio Manager

Ben arrived at Narwhal from a small investment firm in Eugene, Oregon, where he cut his teeth investing in individual stocks, bonds and derivatives. He earned the right to use the CFA designation in 2016, holds his Series 65 license and is a certified Financial Risk Manager. Ben received a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Washington. In his free time, he plays competitive tennis, mentors for Mentoring for Leadership and is a frequent contributor to The Investing Podcast.

Benjamin Nye is an Investment Adviser Representative registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. To view his professional background and public disclosures, click here.

Thomas Russell

Senior Fixed Income Analyst, Assistant Portfolio Manager

Tom joined the Narwhal team in the fall of 2018. He has a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Kennesaw State University. Tom has spent his career trading fixed income on both an institutional and retail level, specializing in Municipal Bonds. He holds Series 7 and Series 66 Licenses. Tom lives in East Atlanta Village with his wife, Maeve. When he’s not in the office, he enjoys playing rugby, traveling and watching Tennessee football.

Thomas Russell is an Investment Adviser Representative registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. To view his professional background and public disclosures, click here.

Samuel Frost

Junior Investment Analyst, Assistant Portfolio Manager

Sam joined the Narwhal team in the summer of 2016 after completing his MBA program at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business. Sam earned a B.S. in mathematics from Mississippi State University, where he was a member of the baseball team and a four-time nominee to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Samuel Frost is an Investment Adviser Representative registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. To view his professional background and public disclosures, click here.

Tax and Accounting Services

Dean Wardlaw, CPA

Director of Tax and Accounting Services

Like the firm’s founder, Dean also came to Narwhal after a long career (35 years) with C.W. Matthews Contracting Company. Dean specializes in tax consultation and preparation, particularly for high net-worth individuals, trusts and privately owned corporations. He and his wife Kim have a grown son, Alex. On weekends in the fall, Dean can be found at Sanford Stadium in Athens cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs and awaiting the next Herschel Walker.

Jonathan McKay, CPA

Tax and Accounting Associate

Jonathan joined Narwhal’s staff in January 2017. He comes to Narwhal with fifteen years of experience in the accounting field. Throughout his career, he has performed various roles ranging from job cost accounting to serving as Controller. After obtaining his B.A. in accounting from Kennesaw State University, Jonathan was also able to earn his CPA certificate. When Jonathan is away from the office, you’ll find him and his wife, Lisa, having fun with their two boys, Corbin and Porter.

Sylvia Priest

Director of Trust Services

A member of the Narwhal team since January 2015, Sylvia previously worked at C.W. Matthews Contracting Company. The resident expert on trust documents and execution, Sylvia spends most of her time assisting Narwhal’s accounting department. A Scottish culture enthusiast, Sylvia participates in many local Highland festivals and appreciates a good Scottish Country Dance as much as a fine single malt.

Client Service and Engagement

Andrea Walker

Director of Client Services

Andrea joined Narwhal’s team as Director of Client Services in 2017 after serving in a similar capacity at Crawford Investment Counsel. Andrea oversees all client initiatives, ranging from engagement projects to administration of accounts. She received her BBA from Mercer University with an emphasis on finance and international business, and she holds an Investment Foundations Certificate from the CFA Institute. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family, hiking, brunch and local farmers markets. She and her husband are the proud parents of a rescue Shih Tzu named Henry.

Andrea Walker is an Investment Adviser Representative registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. To view her professional background and public disclosures, click here.

Jonathan Hicks

Associate Portfolio Analyst

Jonathan joined Narwhal Capital Management as an intern in the spring of 2018. After completing his senior year at Kennesaw State University, Jonathan returned to Narwhal as the firm’s Associate Portfolio Analyst. Jonathan oversees day-to-day portfolio analysis tasks while simultaneously supporting the Investment Committee. He holds a Bachelor’s of Finance from Kennesaw State University.

Melissa Visbal

Financial Planning Associate

Melissa came to Narwhal in the summer of 2018 following the completion of her master’s degree in financial planning from the University of Georgia, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree in consumer economics. Melissa uses holistic financial planning to further the goals and needs of Narwhal’s clients. She is VITA/TCE (Voluntary Income Tax Assistance & Tax Counseling for the Elderly) certified for this year, and plans to continue renewing this every year. She is also currently working toward her CFP designation. When she’s not working, Melissa enjoys adventuring down the Beltline and exploring all of the different cuisines Atlanta has to offer.

Interns

Investment Intern

The Investment Intern here at Narwhal Capital facilitates portfolio manager and analyst work. In an environment with many opinions and thoughts on stocks, bonds and the markets in general, it is imperative that we leverage the intellectual power of the firm. This internship encompasses everything from analyzing portfolios and trades for incongruencies to ensuring that there is “no stock left behind” (i.e. making sure we have an up-to-date working knowledge of every company we follow). While the tasks are wide-ranging, the end goal is the same – to better serve clients through disciplined and concentrated care of portfolios.

Operations Intern

The firm’s Operations Intern works closely with the Vice President to support each division of the company—investment management, tax and accounting, client service, marketing, etc. This position offers a well-rounded look at the ins-and-outs of operating a business with responsibilities ranging from project management to administrative support and strategic planning.

Office Support Intern

The Office Support Intern spends their day completing a wide variety of tasks. These tasks range from running errands to aiding in administrative work to helping run social media. In this position, the office support intern’s work allows other employees to work efficiently and focus on clients. This role wears many hats and gives a good overview of how a financial management firm operates.